You'll Learn to Love Me

Chapter 66: Pasiphaë

"Sorry." Hazel wiped her face. 

"Hey, you know..." Leo shrugged. "I've attacked a few rocks in my day."

"It's okay Hazel," Laylana said softly. "Trust me, I feel the same way right now."

Hazel swallowed. "Frank is... he's –"

"Listen," Leo said. "Frank Zhang has moves. He's probably gonna turn into a kangaroo and do some marsupial jujitsu on their ugly faces."

"He's right." Those words were hard for Laylana to get out. "Frank and the others are strong. They can get through it, they'll find a way." 

Laylana offered her hands to Hazel and helped haul her up. The two girls squeezed each other in a tight hug. Despite her own panic, Laylana knew that the others would be okay. They were here for those who would be helpless at this point, the ones who were in trouble. The other four would be fine.

"Leo, I'm sorry," Hazel said. He raised an eyebrow.

"Okay. For what?"

"For..." She gestured around her helplessly. "Everything. For thinking you were Sammy. I mean, I didn't mean –"

"Hey." He squeezed her hand, though Laylana knew it was definitely not in a romantic gesture. More of one she would use with her siblings. "Machines are designed to work."

"Uh, what?"

"I figure the universe is basically like a machine. I don't know who made it, if it was the Fates or the gods or capital-G God or whatever. But it chugs along the way it's supposed to most of the time. Sure, little pieces break and stuff goes haywire once in a while, but mostly... things happen for a reason. Like you and me meeting."

"Leo Valdez," Hazel marvelled, "you're a philosopher."

"Nah," he said, glancing at Laylana. "I'm just a mechanic. But I figure my bisabuelo Sammy knew what was what. He let you go, Hazel. My job is to tell you that it's okay. You and Frank – you're good together. We're all going to get through this. I hope you guys get a chance to be happy. Besides, Zhang couldn't tie his shoes without your help."

"That's mean," Hazel chided. "What happened to you when you were on your own?"

Leo's eye twitched as Laylana let go of Hazel finally and looked down at her feet. "Long story. I'll tell you sometime. But right now it's not important."

"The universe is a machine," Hazel said, "so it'll be fine."

"Hopefully."

"As long as it's not one of your machines," Hazel added. "Because your machines never do what they're supposed to."

Laylana chuckled, glad her sister was at least back to her somewhat normal self.

"Yeah, ha-ha." Leo summoned fire into his hand, mentally hitting himself for the way Laylana flinched beside him as he did it without warning. "Now, which way, Miss Underground?"

Hazel scanned the path in front of them. About thirty feet down, the tunnel split into four smaller arteries, each one identical. Laylana could feel her sense of dread increase as she looked down the left one.

"That way," Hazel decided, pointing at the one Laylana had felt uneasy about. "It feels the most dangerous."

"I'm sold," said Leo.

"Sounds just like us." Laylana rolled her shoulders as they began their descent. As soon as they reached the first archway, the polecat Gale found them. She scurried up Hazel's side and curled around her neck, chittering crossly.

"Not the farting weasel again," Leo complained. "If that thing lets loose in close quarters like this, with my fire and all, we're gonna explode."

Gale barked a polecat insult at Leo. Hazel hushed them both. The more they walked, the more Laylana wanted to turn and run away. She could feel like something was about to go wrong.